Direction-indicator



R. B. POLLOCK.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 050.30, IQIII,

1,340,343, mma May 18,1920.

State of useful Direction-Indicator, of which the fol- 10 to the drivers of other a tail light serving to 30 ing to illuminate the 50 nals being shown 55 is also diagrammatically ROBERT BOWERS PoLLoeK, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 18, j 920.

Application med December 3o, 191s. serial no. 268,906.

To all wiwi/t t 'may concern.' l

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. POLLOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and California, have invented a new and lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a device whereby the driver of a vehicle may readily indicate vehicles the direction to steer the vehicle, and he is going to stop the in which he is about also indicate when 'vehicle An object of the invention is to produce a device of this character of comparatively simple construction and one that is reliable in operation. l

Another object is to cause display of the visual signal by moving the operating mem- 2o ber in either direction to indicate a turn in the same direction; and to cause display of n both the visual signals by movement of the Voperating member still further in the same Irection to indicate that the vehicle is about to be brought to a stop.

Another object is-to so construct the device that it will embody in its construction illuminate the license number of the vehicle, and also functionvisualsignals at night.

Another Objectis to provide for sounding suitable audible signals coincidently with the displaying of the visual signals.

Another object is to eli'ect the various movements of the visual signals by a simple cam construction.'

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detailed description.

he accompanyingr drawings illustrate vthe invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a direction indicator built in accordance with the provisions of this invention, the visual signaling members being in non-signaling position in- 145 side of the casing.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the indicator, the front wall-of the casing being omitted so as to expose to viewthe internal mechanism and one of the visual sigin signaling position projecting from the casing.

' Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2, Vexcepting that both visual signals are displayed outside of the casing. In this view indicated an auditory signal, a source of electric current, and

-instance shown the casing in prolile is y color and will preferably bered connections between the auditory signal, electric current source, casing and electric contacts in the casing.

ig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line indicated by #-502 Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan section on the curved line indicated by :eL-, Fig. 8.

There is provided a suitable casing indicated in general by the character l. In the pezium. The rear wall 2 of the casing is intact and the front wall 3 is provided in its upperv portion with an opening 4 through which projects a lamp 5 mounted in a socket 6 fastened to the rear wall 2. Below the level of the opening 4 the front wall is pro vided 'with a downwardly and vforwardly slanting license number plate/7 which may be suitably fastened to brackets a project ing forward from the sides of the casing. Directly in front of the opening 4 the casing forms a transversely extending hood 8 which may have its top slanted or curved downwardly from its middle toward its ends. Immediately in front of the lamp 5 the hood 8 is provided with an vopenin 9, having a lens 10. Said lens may be o any desired so' as to indicate danger. Thus the lamp 5 may be used for the tail-lamp of the vehicle on which the indicator is placed. i

, Tho endo of the hood e' are preferably open so that light rays from the lamp 5 can escape laterally from the hood for 'a reason to appear hereinafter. The license number 11 is stamped or otherwise marked on the plate 7 and light rays from the lamp 5 will strike vertically downward through the bottom opening 12 ofthe hood upon the number so that the numberwill be illuminated and may be easily read at night. The lamp v5 is shown in the drawings as an electric lamp, but 'it may be of any other type desired.

Pivoted at their lower ends near the lower end ot' the casing l by pivots` 13 is a pair 'of signal arms 14, 15-which extend upward almost to the top of the casing. Thel upper 18 in the upper portions of the side walls ot' the casing.

The arms 11 and 15 are normally held in non-signaling position, and are movcd into said positions from the signaling positions of Fig. 3 by springs 19 which engage the outer Jaccs ot' the arms and which are. fastened at their lower ends to the sidc walls of the casing. When the arms 14, 15 are in the signaling positions the springs 19 are compressed and tend to move said arms inward against stops 2() which may be in the t'orm of pins projecting from the rear wall 2 ot' the casing into the path of travel o1E the. arms so that said arms cannot move inward beyond predetermined positions.

The lower end of each of the arms 1-1. 15 is provided with a notch 21. The wall of each notch 21 has a curved upper portion 22 and a straight lower portion 23. The notch wall portion 23 forms a stop t'or an oscillatory member in the form of a. `am 24, ono ene of said member forming a detent or arm 25 adapted to engage either one ot the notches 21 and the periphery ot' said detent having a curved portion 21S to tit the curved wall portions 22. The wall portions 23 each form a stop to engage the arm' 25 when said arm is in the appropriate notch 21. The opposite end ot' the member 2J( forms an arm 27 adapted to engage either one of shoulders 2H on the arms 1-1. 15 when the detent enters the notch in the appropriate arm 14 or 15.

The member 2-1 is pivoted in the casing. the pivot being shown at 29. The pivot 29 may be in the t'orm of a shaft to which the. member 21 is fixed and may extend real'- ward of the. casing through au opening 30 in the rear wall 2"thereof. Any suitable means may be provided Jor rocking the shaft 29. and in the drawings there is shown an arm 31 fixed to the rear end ot' the. shaft. The arm 31 is adapted to be operated by any suitable means, not shown. which may extend within operating distance ot' the seat ot' the driver ot' the. vehicle to which the iudieator is attached. The notch 21 of either ot the arms 14. 15 is so positioned relative to the shoulder 2H of the other ot said arms that the cam 21 does not come. into engagement with the shoulder 2H ot one of the arms 1-1. 15 until the cam has been turned sufficient-ly iar to move the. other ot said arms outward to the signaling position. and as the. cam enters the. notch ot' said other arm the arm 2T ot' the cam rides against the shoulder 28 of' the .first named arm and causes said arm to swing outward to signaling position. 'lhis is clearly shown in F ig.

lt is to he noted that when the lamp 5 is burning some of the light rays therefrom strike laterally through the open ends of the hood S upon the signal '16 or 17 or both, i

as the case may be, when said signal or signals `are in display positions.

The back wall 2 of the casing, if desired, may be provided with a recess 32 in which is inserted insulation 32%. On the insulation Il?) are. electric. contacts 3-1, 35, 3G which are connected to one another by a` conductor strip c as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Between the contacts 31, 255 and between the contacts 35. B1G is insulation 3S, said insulations haming their outer 'faces flush with the outer iaccs ot said contacts. ln the arm 15 and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a contact 39 adapted to engage the contact 34 as the arm 15 moves from non-signaling position to signaling position. there being a spring JA) to yieldingly hold the contact 39 outward. In the arln 14 and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a contact 11 adapted to successively engage the contacts 35, 3G as the arm 114 moves Jfrom non-signaling to signaling position.y there. being a spring 12 to yieldingly hold the contact 11 outward. The strip e is connected with an electric. conductor 43 passing through a4 bushing 41 in the rear wall 2 ot' the casing. 'lhe conductor 43 is connected with the coil -15 ot' an auditory signal -lt and said coil is connected by a conductor L1T to a source 4S of electric current which in turn is connected by a conductor L19 to the casing so that the electric current will flow through the. arms 15, 14 to their contacts when said contacts respectively engage the contacts 35. 36 and contact 34.

. From the foregoing it is clear that. when the arm l5 swings outward. the auditory signal 1G will sound or toot once; that. when the arm 11 swings outward. the. auditory signal will toot twice: and that. whcnlioth arms l1. 15 are swung outward. thelauditory signal will ytoot thrice.

ln practice. the operation ot the device is as follows:

A\ssuming that the above described direction iiulicator is suitably mounted on the rear end o1" a vehicle with tht` front wall P facing rearward and that thi arms V1 15 are in non-signaling positions. as in if the driver ofthe vehicle. desires tolturn the vehicle to the right hc will cause the arm 31 to turn to the right to a degree suiiicient to move. the arm 15 and its signal 1T and the cam 2-1 to positions shown in Fig. 2. thus indicating to drivers in the rear that a right turn is about to be executed. lt' the driver desires to turn to the left he will cause the. arm 11 to turn to the left to a degree sullicicnt to move. the arm 11 to signaling position the same as described above l'or the arm l5. ln indicatingeither the right or lett turn the cam 24 does not enter the notch 2.1.

llf the driver cate his, desirc.,t i)

desires to stop he may indi- Idrivers 1n the rear by to signaling position.

tuiining the arml to a greater degiee than above described, in either direction, .so as to cause the cam to bear against the. alpproprilate shoulder 28. For instance, in `ig. 3 tlifishown in,v Fig. 2 to a degree' sufficient to enter the cam in the slot 21 of th'e arm 15 A and cause the cani to kick outthe arm 14 thus causing display of both visual sign-als. i

When the right turn is indicated visual-ly it is evident that one toot or sounding of the auditory signal -16 will be given; that indicating visually a left tu-rn will cause two soundingsof the auditory signal; aud that indicating visually a stop will result. in Vthree soundings ofthe auditory signal to be given.

From fthe above description of the cam device. of the invention it' is clear that the .cam 24 is, in effect, a Vlost motion connection 'between the shaft 29 and the arms 14, 15 so that when either of the arms ifi-,.15 has been moved to signaling position said arm will remain stationary While the other arm is being mved to signaling'position. It is also seen that there are provided'- means to move either signal from non-signaling position to signaling :position independently of one another and thereafter toimove into signaling position the signal not first moved while the signal filrst moved is in the signaling position.

From the foregoing it is apprent that the indicator. is of comparatively simple' cam has been turned from the position Y meansoperative when one ofthe signals is being moved to sound one toot and opera- ,tive When the other signal is being moved to sound two toots.

2. vA direction indicator comprising vis-. ual signals, and means including a lost m0- tion connection to move either signal from non-signaling position to signaling position independently of one another and thereafter to move into signaling position the signal not first moved while the signa] first moved is in the signaling position.

' 3. A direction indicator comprising movably mounted arms, visual signals on the arms respectively, and a rotatively mounted cani adapted to separately or simultaneously engage and move the arms.

4. A direction indicator comprising movably mounted arms, visual signals on the arms respectively, a shaft, a member on the shaft having a detent to engage either of constructionand that the signals Right turn Left turn7 and Stop7 are readily given by the driver by simply operating one control member 'to'the right, and left to intermediate positions and to the right or left to extreme positions.

It is to be understood thatthe invention in its broader phases is not limited to the exact details of construction described above and shown in the drawings, but that such changes and modifications aie included as lie Within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Though the auditory signal 46 is, shown in Fig. 3 of the draivingsas being in the form `of an electrically operated horn and the sound emitted by -it has been termed a Toot, it 'is understood that said signal may be a bell or any other sound-producing device and that the term Toot defines any audible sound produced by said signal.

. ciaim:

1. A direction indicator comprising visual signals, means to move either signal from non-signaling position to signaling position independently of one another and thereafter to move into signaling position' the signal not first moved while the signal first moved is in the signaling position, and

the arms when the shaft is turned, there being notches in the arms to receive the detent When the detent has moved either arm to a certain position, and means on the member adapted to engage and move the other arm-'When the detent is moving in the notch.

5. A direction indicator comprising visual signals, a single control member, means operative by moving the control member into different positions to move either signal from non-signaling position to signaling position independently of one another and thereafter to move into signaling position the signal not first moved while the signal first moved is in the signaling position, and means operative by' moving of one of the signals to make one auditory signal and operative by moving of the other signal to make a different signal.

6. A direction indicator comprising visual signals, a sngle control member, means operative by moving the control member into diHerent psitions to display the signals independently and simultaneously, and means 1,10 operative by the first named means to produce different auditory signals for the independent and simultaneous displays of the l visual signals.

7. A direction indicator comprising visual signals, a single control member, means operative by moving the control member into different positions to display the signals independently and simultaneously, and means operative by the first named means to produce C ferent auditory signals for the dis-l play of each visual signal independently and for the display of the visual signals simultaneously.

8. A direction indicator comprising a casing, arms pivotcd to the casing and provided ivith notches respectively, springs in the casing yieldingly lioldingthe arms toward one another, signals on the arms adapted toy be displayed outside of the casing when thev arms are swung outward. a cam pivoted in the casing' between the arms and haring a portion adapted to engage one. ol' tho arms -adjacent the notch thereof when the cam is turned to a certain degree in either direction and adapted to engage. the notch thereof when the cam is turned to a greater degree. the notch permitting movement of the cam imlepe'idently of the arm having said notch and the cam haring' another portion adapted to be free from the arms when the first named portion thereof is in engagement with the irst named arm` said second named cam portion being adapted to engage the othe' arm when the irst named am portion is moving' in the notch of the l'rst named arm. and means to rock the cam.

9. direction indicator comprising `visual signals. means to display the signals independently and together, said means ineluding' but a single control member, and means operative by the. display ol one visual signal to make an auditory signal and operative by the display ot' the other visual signal to make a different auditory signal and operative by the display of both signals to make a still different auditory signal.

l0. direction indicator comprising visual signals. means to display the signals independently and together7 and means operative by the display of one Visual signal to make an auditory signal and operative by the display ol the other visual signal to make. a ditl'erent auditory signal and operative by the display of both signals to make` a still different auditory signal.

Signed. at Los Angeles. Calif.. this 23d day or' December, 1918.

.ROBERT BOlVELS POLLOCK.

Witnesses V (leonor: H. Mums, L. lll-:Lm: 'EAVER. 

